22 Robin's father died

Robin Wang listened carefully as the lawyer seemed to be taking pleasure in detailing every bequest in the will left behind by his father —every small donation, every tiny remembrance, every charity that would get part of his father's vast estate. Or had this been his father's idea?

Bambang Wang, Robin's father, was a powerful billionaire. He had been a despot in life—and in death he still wanted everyone to dance to the tune he set. Robin shifted on his feet, and got a glare from his sister, Meiying.

Robin had two sisters. Both of them had straight, black hair—like his mother had. They also had the same dark eyes. An old familiar pain twisted inside Robin—regret his mother had not lived, the ache of memory, the wish just to see her once more.

But he did see her—he could see her any time he looked at his sisters. He wished that was comfort enough, but he would have to make do with no more arguments with his father, Mr. Bambang.

Meiying gave him one more glare that told him to behave. Even though Robin was the eldest, Meiying had become their mother after Meilin Wang had died. She sat next to Mei, Robin's second sister now, holding Mei's hand, while Robin stood, leaning on a bookcase filled with musty, leather-clad legal volumes.

At least Robin assumed they were legal books. His mouth twitched at the thought of opening one and finding a Playboy centerfold. The lawyer raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat. Robin tried to pay more attention.

Did the lawyer think he was telling them anything new? Bambang had already told them most of this time and time again, usually with the stipulation that if they did not behave they would get nothing.

Robin listened to the list of residences scattered around Asia and even in Europe—his father's hobby, he thought, collecting places as well as people, and money that could have been better spent.

Finally the lawyer got to the family. "To my daughters Meiying and Mei, I leave each a trust fund of fifty-million US dollars to be administered by their older brother Robin until each of my daughters reaches the age of twenty-five. If either of my daughters should marry before the age of twenty-five, I leave it up to my son to release the trust or to continue to manage it."

Robin straightened, anger tightening his jaw and stomach. Lawyer glanced at him.

"Your father included that condition because he didn't want his daughters to be targets for men who would marry for money only. It is your decision as to whether any man is to be entrusted with such a large sum of money."

Robin snorted. "As if they aren't smart enough to know that. My father thought we lived in the eighteen hundreds, when women couldn't be trusted with anything." He glanced at his sisters.

Meiying sat still, her dark eyes flat, but color burned in her cheeks. Mei kept her head down. Robin would have to talk to them later. They could break this trust—or he would simply put them in charge of their own money.

The lawyer shook his head and began to read again. "To my son, Robin, I leave this world with a heavy heart for the wrongs I have done. I have been in an affair with a girl much younger to me. And I think, I did wrong to her. I robbed of her innocence. To make up for this, , with the exception of the Villa Longtang in Shanghai, which goes to the girl , I leave the rest of my estate to my son. The name of the girl is Chunhua Yang. I am leaving behind photographs of her in a sealed envelope for the identification process."

The lawyer passed on a sealed envelope to Robin. His father wanted Robin to keep the envelope with himself and no other person was allowed to open and see whats inside.

Robin went to a side, opened the envelope. He found the photographs inside. Photographs of the girl he loved so much - Chunhua Yang along with his father.

He was shocked and speechless. His sisters noticed his behavior and asked him the reason for his surprise. Robin refused to show any photos to others.

Mei asked, "Chunhua Yang who?" She looked at Robin, but he did not remove his stare from the lawyer. He refused to show the photographs to anyone.

The lawyer put down the will and folded his hands on top of it. Crossing his arms, Robin asked, "Tell me what it's going to take to break this will. I am not allowing my mother's house—the place where she is buried, the villa she loved so much, to go to…to an unknown lady."

"You know this Chunhua?" Meiying asked. Robin ignored her question as well.

The lawyer lifted an eyebrow. "There is one more condition." He cleared his throat and read, "Everything will be held in trust for my son until he is married. At that time he may do as he pleases, and if he marries by his twenty-fifth birthday, the rest of my inheritance, including the Villa Longtang, will go to him."

Meiying gave a gasp. "That's next month! That's crazy!"

The lawyer put a hand on the document. "Your father was of sound mind. The bequests are all reasonable, if a touch…unusual."

Robin gave a snort. "Anything can be broken—overturned. How do we end this farce?"

"If you contest the will, you will forfeit your inheritance—and that of your sisters. Weren't you listening earlier? That clause is in the first paragraph."

Jaw clenched tight, Robin shook his head. But it was Mei who spoke up. "Our mother loved the Villa Longtang. How could father leave this to a stranger?"

"Oh, Chunhua Yang is not a stranger," Robin said.

Robin's father had always been one to play games with the lives of others. He would find a way out of this. And he would find a way that kept his sisters' inheritance intact. Robin glanced at his sisters. He owed them something of an explanation, but he decided to stay silent.